1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of shutter or blinds assemblies. More particularly, the present invention is in the field of shutter or blind assemblies of the type wherein individual louvers are readily replaceable without disassembling the entire assembly, and wherein the tilt bar can be easily removed and reassembled relative to the louvers. The present invention is also in the field of improved methods and devices for positionally adjusting, leveling and plumb leveling a shutter frame or like frame relative to a fixed structure.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Shutter and louver assemblies are well known in the prior art, and are described in numerous references, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 633,013; 1,701,695; 2,761,185; 3,284,951; 3,371,446; 3,455,057; 3,932,959; 4,936,048 and 4,996,793.
Generally speaking all shutters or blinds have a pair of spaced apart, vertical side rails or stiles, which are interconnected substantially on their tops and bottoms with substantially horizontally disposed spreaders. A plurality of louvers or slats are rotatably mounted in the side rails, and appropriate means, such as tilt bar or tilt rod, are provided for opening or closing the louvers or slats in unison. More precisely, the louvers or slats are usually adjustable by manipulation of the tilt bar between a closed position (in which the slats vertically overlap) and an open position (in which the slats are vertically spaced apart). Shutters provided for use on the exterior of a building are sometimes deliberately constructed so as not to have any means (such as a tilt bar) for adjusting the position of the louvers or slats, because on the exterior of a building the louvers may be intended to be closed (vertically overlapped) at all times. Another relatively common feature of shutters or blinds is the provision of a mid-rail, usually disposed in the center (in the vertical direction) of the shutter. The mid-rail is a structural member which interconnects the side rails or stiles, but which, unlike the louvers or slats, is not pivotably mounted so that its position is not adjustable. The several shutter and blind assembly constructions of the prior art primarily differ from one another in the manner in which the louvers or slats are mounted to the side rails, and in the manner in which the adjusting means, such as the tilt bar or tilt rod, are attached to the louvers.
Of particular interest as background to the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,003 to Henley, Sr., in which the side rails are provided with horizontally disposed grooves which also have a vertically spaced notch. The louvers or slats have horizontally extending dowels, which are pivotably mounted into the above-noted notches disposed on the side rails. The tilt bar is an elongated vertical member which has a longitudinal channel capable of retaining a second vertical member. A plurality of vertically-spaced transverse slots in the elongated member receive an eyelet retained in the slot by the second vertical member. The eyelets are attached to loops affixed (for example stapled) to the edge of the louvers or slats. The shutter assembly of this patent reference allows, at least in principle, the removal of individual louvers or slats from the assembly for such purposes as replacement or repair. This shutter assembly however, also suffers from certain disadvantages, which include its complexity of construction, and the bulkiness of the tilt bar. Moreover, assembly and use of this shutter assembly is not problem free, the components are hard to assemble, and malfunction during assembly and use is more common than would be desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,061 to J. Hadary is also of interest. In the shutter assembly of this reference the louvers or slats have dowels which are inserted into apertures provided in an extra side strip, which is itself mounted to the side rail or stile of the shutter assembly. The tilt bar of this reference has a plurality of staples each of which engages a screw in type hook inserted into the edge of the louvers.
In spite of the availability of relatively large number of somewhat differing prior art shutter or blinds constructions, there is still a significant need for improvement in this field. Particularly, there is a significant need for a shutter and blind assembly, which is relatively simple to construct, simple to assemble without major mechanical skill and tools, sturdy and reliable in operation, has an uncluttered esthetic appearance, and which permits easy assembly and reassembly of the entire tilt rod (for example for the purposes of thorough cleaning of the louvers) and of individual louvers or slats (for example for the purpose of replacement or repair). The present invention provides such a shutter or blind assembly.